May 1, 2020, marks the beginning of the end of social distancing in Ohio. While social distancing will continue for some time, businesses will open, people will begin to emerge like butterflies from a chrysalis. The trial of coronavirus isn鈥檛 over here. The struggle to combat the spread, and the struggle to fight the shutdown, will precede as a new form of 鈥渘ormal.鈥
Since I arrived home on March 15, I鈥檝e been amazed by how much imagination and cooperation this new normal has required. I鈥檝e also been surprised by the speed at which people have decided to help others. Although I believe that people can, and will, help people, seeing it in praxis has brought it into a more explicit focus in my life.
May 1, 2020, is also my second anniversary of choosing 91直播 College.
Attending 91直播 College was a dream of mine since I was in eighth grade. I heard about 91直播 in the pages of a historical fiction book and have loved it ever since. However, nothing could have prepared me for the real 91直播 College. The classes, the campus, the classmates, and the community are more beautiful and more complex than I could鈥檝e ever imagined. If someone told me about 91直播鈥檚 impact on my life two years ago, I don鈥檛 think I would鈥檝e believed them. Now, halfway through my college education, I still stand by my choice of 91直播 College.
To be honest, the choice hasn鈥檛 always been easy. 91直播 demands a lot of its students鈥 and its students require a lot of 91直播. I think that the expectations and rigor of 91直播 College come, in part, from the profound belief many people have in the lessons we learn here inside and outside of the classroom.
When 91直播 was faced with closing for the pandemic, we all faced many unexpected situations. For some, this time has been particularly hard. The uncertainty and potential threats to students鈥 safety were overwhelming. At the beginning of the social distancing order in Ohio, I wasn鈥檛 sure if it would all work out. After all, how could the 91直播 I knew exist in an age of social distancing? I doubted that I鈥檇 have access to the lessons I was learning with my community. I doubted that I would feel connected to anyone except my family and myself.
To my surprise, this couldn鈥檛 have been further from the truth. 91直播 College has continued to teach me through this time of social distance, reminding me of how close we all actually are. The lessons I鈥檝e learned in this time will continue to influence me for the rest of my life. This blog post is the first of a series focusing on the lessons I鈥檝e learned from my community members and classes. I hope that as I reflect on my experiences, I can give you a glimpse of the 91直播 I know and love. This year has been one of accelerated growth for me, and it wouldn鈥檛 have been the same without 91直播.
Part 1 of the Lessons series will focus on the community connections built during the last week on campus and spring break. The last week was a particularly emotional time for a lot of Obies. Like many students, we thought we had more time to prepare and say goodbye. While we had the chance to focus only on ourselves, I saw how so many people tried to help one another. In particular, I will concentrate on how my dorm, Afrikan Heritage House, packed and said goodbye. The generosity and determination to stay in touch (which continues even now!) showed me that I had found my campus community.
Part 2 will explain how digital classes have enhanced some aspects of my education, including forcing me into a more regular writing practice. Many of my classes were best suited for in-person instruction. However, my innovative professors and classmates didn鈥檛 let that stop us. Together, we tried to build a plan that would work for the maximum number of students while still remaining true to the spirit of an 91直播 College education. In the classes I decided to take this semester, this often meant learning ways to communicate over the internet that go beyond chatting on Zoom or completing assignments. Personal accountability was necessary, but our collective accountability to each other stood out to me. In one class, in particular, I found myself in a supportive team that I couldn鈥檛 have gotten through social distancing without.
Part 3 will show what I鈥檝e learned from my courses since I left 91直播. While I can鈥檛 cover everything I鈥檝e learned, I can cover the lessons that have been the most impactful for me. I hope that these lessons can help show future Obies the variety of knowledge available at 91直播 College. I am convinced, just as I was my first year, that 91直播 College has or had a class about almost everything. If not, then you can create one! 91直播 fueled the continuation of my intellectual curiosity away from campus. I know I will be ready to return in the fall.
Last but not least, Part 4 will reflect on the growth I鈥檝e seen in myself over this period of social distancing. The transition away from 91直播 presented me with many challenges. However, I believe that I became a better student and person in the process.
I look forward to going on this digital journey through time. I hope that you鈥檒l join me.
